Welcome to Bimmerfest -- The #1 Online Community for BMW related information! Please enjoy the discussion forums below and share your experiences with the 200,000 current, new and past BMW owners. The forums are broken out by car model and into other special interest sections such as BMW European Delivery and a special forum to voice your questions to the many BMW dealers on the site to assist our members!

E82 / E87 / E88 1 Series (2008 - 2013) BMWs throw back to the iconic 2002, with a renewed form and function. The smallest car in BMW's line up but still packs a punch. Available in coupe or convertible, powered by a naturaly aspirated inline 6 in the 128 or the turbo twin power inline 6 rocket sled 135.

My Is is Mineral Grey with Oyster Boston Leather. It doesn't have any junk on it. What I mean is no Technology or Premium Packages. These two items add five grand to the price of the car, and being a true aficionado of mechanical purity, I'd be embarrassed to admit to purchasing them.

I did get the DCT. Until I bought the Mercedes, a truly wonderful sweet car, I have never had anything but a stick. The Benz has a great 7-speed auto, and it convinced me that shifting was not only a waste of time but a PITA!

So why did I buy the Is over the I? For one thing if you closely examine the various refinements done to the engine, brakes, suspension, and comfort (like seats), you'll discover you get a lot for just a couple of grand more than the I. For example, it comes with the Sport Exhaust which is a $1,200 item out of the BMW catalogue. It also has the engine performance upgrade which adds some HP & torque. One big item is the wheels nearly four grand! There are also improvements to the brakes, suspension, and comfort that come standard. In other words, you don't have to check off the Sport Package a $1,300 item.

I like convertibles, but I bought the coupe. The soft top add about 400 pounds weight which is a serious amount if you are interested in performance.

There is one item that I might recommend for those with deep pockets, and that is the Logic 7 upgrade to the radio. I have it in the Benz, and it is a great sounding system. However, the Benz has a quiet exhaust while the Is doesn't, and I prefer listening to its exhaust. I might note my neighbors don't!